Bebop by the Numbers
"The simplest and most fun way I have ever seen... to learn how to play chord changes. It starts sooo easy, and get's sooo cool!" ~Dean
What is Bebop by the Numbers?
Bebop by the Numbers is a method for learning music creation for all aspiring musicians, instrumentalists, and vocalists alike–focused on using scale degrees and repeatable building blocks to create your own music.
Super Fun, Super Simple!
In this method, you are going to discover the building blocks for:
- Learning how to improvise,
- Creating Bebop ideas, lines, runs and melodies,
- Strategically placing them over chord progressions,
- Developing skills to create and improvise in real-time,
- Starting simple, creating the ability to go complex,
- A sustainable method you can use to develop your skills for years to come...
Now available in 6 different versions:
The Original Numbers Method Book:
Amazon – Paperback Version
[Order on Amazon.com]
Lulu – Spiral-bound Version
[Order on Lulu.com]
Tip: If you want your book to lay totally flat, order the spiral-bound version from Lulu.com
The NEW Solfège Method Book:
Lulu – Spiral-bound Version
[Order on Lulu.com]
Amazon – Paperback Version
[Order on Amazon.com]
The Mobile Apps:
Android - in the Google Play Store
Apple / iOS - in the App Store (iPad & iPhone)
The Website/Browser App:
BebopbytheNumbers Online [Web App]
App Tour
What–the Solfège?!
Get the Solfège Edition–the same book, the same method, now with Solfège and Scat Syllables side-by-side.
Now Available on Lulu
Spril Bound Edition,
and Amazon in Paperback!
The Riff of the Day is Crazy Cool, Fun, and FREE!
Get the Mobile App or WebApp and sign up for the Riff of the Day–for FREE!
- You get a Riff every day that you can play-along with and learn.
- This is approachable for ALL skill levels.
- Beginners: build your inventory of ideas over different chords.
- You get four play-along videos where you can learn the riff over different chords, then play along over Bb Blues.
- Advanced Players: start with it, mess around with it, double-time it. Use the Bebop by the Numbers method to add more to the riff and make it better.
- Start with Bb Blues, then play along with our other practices tracks–for FREE!
- Works on Android/IOS, and Web Browser.
What are people saying?
“I really dig how you start very small and simple and piece each idea together. Kind of like sonic legos. This is the most fun I’ve ever had working on bebop lines.”
“Bebop by the Numbers is essential to our improvisation curriculum! This method has unlocked all of our students’ abilities to play changes more confidently, transcribe more coherently, and develop their own ideas with more fluency. Bebop by the Numbers allows improvisers of all ages and ability levels to sound more like the pros!”
“So simple to start sounding good and build from there. I wish I would have had this when I was first learning how to play jazz!” -
"Great method for learning Improvisation. I'm a music teacher, classically train in voice who is working on singing jazz. I bought this book to get tips on improving my scatting. I LOVE it. (This method) uses easy, logical steps to incrementally increase the complexity without overwhelming the student. The first half of the book teaches easy patterns that you then learn how to play with, and embellish to make them interesting..."
So Why Numbers?
I guess it started with teaching improvisation to beginning jazz band and trying to write out ideas for students to play, without having to transpose everything. You see, band instruments are in different keys. I have no idea whose idea that was. As a piano player, I find it fairly crazy. I started writing things using numbers, and told my band kids to figure out what each note was. Of course I did help them if they got stuck.
I also started using numbers in teaching improvisation with my piano students. Specifically talking about the different intervals of the chords and how to embellish the one, three, the five, the seven, the nine of the chord. As I would teach riffs, I found it useful to talk about the ideas using numbers so my students could transpose them into different keys.
Numbers are very helpful. If you can think about the numbers of the scale degrees instead of the letters, you can then translate ideas to different keys more quickly. “What’s the one, what’s the three?” And then in the other key, it’s the same question, just a different answer. You can’t transpose very quickly from one key to the other without using numbers.
Super Fun, Super Simple!
Get Started Today!
Amazon – Paperback Version
[Order on Amazon.com]
Lulu – Spiral-bound Version
[Order on Lulu.com]
Tip: If you want your book to lay totally flat, order the spiral-bound version from Lulu.com
Android - in the Google Play Store
Apple / iOS - in the App Store
BebopbytheNumbers Online [Web App]
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